Tag: Paul Atkinson Jr.

Notre Dame blows out Georgia Tech to clinch double bye in ACC tourney

The Irish will get a two-round head-start in the ACC Tournament.

When Notre Dame first met Georgia Tech this season, it needed overtime to pull off the victory. When the teams reconvened in South Bend, the Irish made sure from the beginning that there would be no extra basketball this time. They led the Yellow Jackets wire-to-wire in a 90-56 victory that gave them their largest margin of victory in ACC play this season. More importantly, they clinched a top-four spot in the conference, guaranteeing them one of four double byes in the upcoming ACC Tournament.

The outcome of this game never was in doubt. You had to believe it after the Irish (21-8, 14-4) shot a whopping 66.7 percent from the field in the first half and made their last seven shots of the frame. That was enough to catch the attention of Tory Jackson:

Meanwhile, the Yellow Jackets (11-18, 4-14) shot 34.4 percent for the entire contest. They missed eight of their final nine shots, including their last six. It was so decisive that Mike Brey felt comfortable enough to let 10 players see the floor.

Dane Goodwin led the Irish with 17 points, all of which came in the first half and were more points than he scored in the past two games combined. Blake Wesley scored 15 points, and Prentiss Hubb balanced out his 13 points with a game-high six assists.

Paul Atkinson Jr. rounded out the list of Irish players scoring in double figures with 10 points. Cormac Ryan recorded a game-high 10 rebounds and finished one field goal short of a double-double.

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Notre Dame beats Boeheims, Syracuse for 20th win

The Irish had to earn this one.

Don’t let that 79-69 final score fool you. Notre Dame really had to work against Syracuse to earn its 20th victory of the season. In the end, it doesn’t really matter how the Irish bested the legendary Jim Boeheim and his crew. Of course, Mike Brey probably will remind his team that a better effort will be needed every game from now until at least the end of the ACC Tournament.

The Irish (20-8, 13-4) and Orange (15-13, 9-8) had to endure 15 lead changes and 12 ties, and the game remained stressful even though the Irish never trailed again after the first few minutes of the second half. Every time the Irish went on a run, the Orange had an answer, and that was thanks in no small part to Jimmy (27 points) and Buddy Boeheim (20 points).

The Irish were held without a field goal over the final 2:57, so who knows what would have happened if Blake Wesley and Paul Atkinson Jr. hadn’t made nine of 10 free throws in that time? Their lead was only three with a minute and a half left, so they needed every one of those points to keep the pressure off.

Atkinson had a double-double before the first half was even over, and he finished the game with a stat line that was both balanced and productive:  20 points (half of which coming on free throws), 17 rebounds. Nate Laszewski was recovered enough from his stomach ailment to come off the bench and score 15 of his 17 points on five 3-pointers.

Cormac Ryan shot 6 of 9 for 16 points, and Wesley overcome 3-of-13 shooting from the field to score 13. Prentiss Hubb had a season-high 10 assists and a career-high eight rebounds.

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Notre Dame’s 3-point shooting not enough in loss to Wake Forest

The perfect February is over.

Until it played Wake Forest, Notre Dame’s games this season in which it had shot well from 3-point range resulted in a win. Not only did the Irish’s contest against the Demon Deacons feature 14 3-pointers, but they accounted for the majority of their field goals. However, the Deacons badly outhustled the Irish as evidenced by their large advantages in offensive rebounds (16-2) and second-chance points (16-4). The result was a 79-74 Irish loss and an end to their five-game winning streak.

The Irish (19-8, 12-4) scored 12 unanswered points during one stretch of the first half and took a six-point halftime lead. The second half went better for the Deacons (21-7, 11-6), who turned it into a back-and-forth affair for a time. The Deacons took the lead for good with 4:20 left, though the Irish never fell behind by more than two possessions the rest of the way. It was not until Cormac Ryan missed a game-tying corner 3-pointer in the final seconds and two subsequent free throws from Jake LaRavia that this game was iced.

It was appropriate for LaRavia to have the last word as he played the entire game and sank 10 of 11 free throws in a 20-point, four-steal effort. Only Alondes Williams, who is projected by some to be a second-round pick in this year’s NBA draft, had more points (23) for the Deacons. Williams completed a double-double with 10 rebounds, as did Khadim Sy off the bench (15 points, 10 rebounds).

Blake Wesley was the game’s leading scorer with 24 points, and he also had three steals. Ryan scored 12 points, while 11 apiece came from Paul Atkinson Jr. and Nate Laszewski, the latter of whom came off the bench as he continues to recover from a leg contusion. Prentiss Hubb had 10 points to go with his game-high six assists.

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Notre Dame looks to stay atop ACC standings against Clemson

Let’s keep this winning going, shall we?

Who would have thought Notre Dame would be tied with Duke atop the ACC standings approaching the middle of February? Well, you better believe these programs have identical 10-3 conference records as tall an order as that might be. The Irish can hold onto that distinction if they beat Clemson in their next game. The first game between the teams went the Irish’s way, but can they repeat on the road what they did at home?

The Irish are tied for their best start to ACC play since their first of back-to-back Elite Eight seasons in 2014-15. One player key to keeping the good times going is Paul Atkinson Jr., who is averaging 16.6 points and 10.8 rebounds over the past three games. As a whole, the Irish need to keep relying on their defense, which has held the past six conference opponents to 65 points or fewer. That’s the best such streak for the Irish since they joined the ACC for the 2013-14 season.

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Notre Dame alone in first place in ACC after win over Louisville

We’re No. 1!

No one is going to remember the details of Notre Dame’s game Wednesday against Louisville. No one will care that Nate Laszewski was out with an injury. It won’t even matter that the Irish nearly coughed up an opportunity they had been waiting for. The only thing to take away is that the Irish have the outright lead in the ACC standings after beating the Cardinals, 63-57.

The Irish (17-7, 10-3) had everything in order with a 14-point lead early in the second, but the Cardinals (11-13, 5-9) hung around to show they weren’t going to just give the Irish sole possession of first place. As proof of this, the Cardinals went on a 12-3 run to turn an eight-point deficit into a one-point lead with over six minutes to go. However, the Irish decided enough was enough and scored eight unanswered points before the Cardinals made their final basket. That was the final act needed to put the Irish in a position that was unthinkable two months ago.

Paul Atkinson Jr. followed up his ACC Player of the Week honor with a double-double that featured an Irish-leading 17 points and a career-high 15 rebounds. Dane Goodwin was just behind with 16 points. Blake Wesley continued to bounce back from his recent shooting slump by shooting 5 of 10 from the field on an 11-point night.

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Notre Dame bounces back with road win over Miami

Back on track.

Notre Dame headed south to play a Miami team that has been pacing the ACC but not been ranked all season. Unlike against Duke, the Irish showed early on that they could stick with the Hurricanes, even get an upper hand on them. While they struggled to put away the game as they did when they beat Virginia, they ultimately got it done in a 68-64 win. The loss knocked the Hurricanes out of a tie for first in the ACC standings with the Blue Devils.

After a close first half, the Irish (15-7, 8-3) found another wind in the second half to put some distance between themselves and the Hurricanes (16-6, 8-3). They went on a 22-6 run to take a 14-point lead midway through the frame. In the final two minutes, the Hurricanes cut an eight-point deficit in half as they forced the Irish into some uncomfortable offensive sequences to keep this game more competitive than any Irish fan would have liked. Though they ultimately weren’t needed, two late free throws from Cormac Ryan helped seal the deal.

Paul Atkinson Jr. lived up to his reputation as an accurate shooter by going 11 of 16 from the field for a season-high 23 points to lead all scorers. He achieved a double-double by grabbing 11 rebounds for the third time this season. Prentiss Hubb had 15 points, and Dane Goodwin bounced back from being shut out against the Blue Devils to score 14. Blake Wesley shot 20 percent or less for the fourth straight game (2 of 13 for 15.4 percent), but he led the Irish with seven assists.

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Notre Dame stinks it up in ugly loss to Duke

What can anyone really say about this one?

Notre Dame had a chance at its signature win of the season when it welcomed Duke to Purcell Pavilion. A sellout crowd was on hand hoping to storm the court in Mike Krzyzewski’s final game coaching in South Bend. Instead, the Irish were stymied by a tough Blue Devils and did themselves no favors offensively in a 57-43 loss. It was the lowest scoring output for the Irish since a 59-41 defeat at Georgetown in 2012.

The Irish (14-7, 7-3) shot a paltry 6 of 32 from the field in the first half (18.8 percent), missing from just about everywhere on the court, and never recovered. You especially can’t expect to do that when you go scoreless for the final four-and-a-half minutes of that half. Add in some big defensive plays throughout from the Blue Devils (18-3, 8-2), and this was a game that fell far short of the hype. While the Blue Devils didn’t shoot that great from the field either (39.4 percent), there was no way the Irish were going to win shooting 27.9 percent from the field against anyone, let alone a blue blood.

Paolo Banchero, expected to be one the first picks in this year’s NBA draft, led all scorers with 21 points. AJ Griffin supported Banchero well with 13 points. Both players grabbed nine rebounds, as did Theo Jon.

Paul Atkinson Jr. was the only Irish scorer to reach double figures (14 points). Although Nate Laszewski became the 67th player in program history to reach 1,000 points, his four points while shooting 1 of 5 from the field barely registered a blip on the radar. Blake Wesley shot 3 of 15, and Prentiss Hubb was 2 of 9. Worst of all, Dane Goodwin had an 0-of-7 showing and was held scoreless for the first time since his freshman season.

This was bad. Like, all of it was bad. Now, the Irish have to travel to ACC-leading Miami for a game that won’t be any easier. It’s back to the drawing board for Mike Brey and his staff.

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Notre Dame holds off pesky Virginia to stay unbeaten at home

The skid against UVA is over.

Notre Dame should have known Virginia was not going to let its six-game winning streak in the series go without a fight. That’s exactly what happened as a seemingly easy victory turned into anything but down stretch. Fortunately, the Irish survived the late push and left Purcell Pavilion with their undefeated home record intact. With the 69-65 victory, the Irish now are 9-0 in their own building.

When the Irish (14-6, 7-2) opened up a 15-point in the second half, things appeared to be in order. Though the Cavaliers (12-9, 6-5) eventually cut the lead to four, the Irish had built it back up to nine with just over a minute left. Then, the Cavaliers tightened up their defense, got rebounds and converted on offensive opportunities to get within two with eight seconds to go. Two Prentiss Hubb free throws iced the game, and Irish fans let out a collective exhale.

Where would the Irish be without the shooting of Nate Laszewski and Dane Goodwin, particularly from 3-point range? The two combined to go 7 of 11 from there in this game, and two finished with 16 points apiece. Paul Atkinson Jr. shot 7 of 12 from the field to score 14 points while also finishing a rebound short of a double-double. Blake Wesley also scored 14 and had a game-high seven assists.

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Watch: Prentiss Hubb talks Notre Dame playing at Howard, Mike Brey

Get to know the Irish point guard.

With Notre Dame having come alive over the past month, it only makes sense to get to know the players.

Recently, the athletic department’s YouTube channel began a series called “Irishography,” which highlights one member of the men’s basketball team. So far, the series has profiled Paul Atkinson Jr., Cormac Ryan and Dane Goodwin. Now, it’s Prentiss Hubb’s turn:

It’s nice to hear Hubb acknowledge the historical significance of the Irish’s game at Howard. Of course, he has to mention how it was a home game for him: He grew up in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, which is slightly more than 20 miles from the Howard campus. There’s nothing wrong with acknowledging that.

It also is obvious he will hold Mike Brey in high regard for the rest of his life. College basketball players often see their coaches as father figures, and there is no exception here. Hopefully, that relationship will continue to grow after Hubb graduates.

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Notre Dame gets hot on offense, ends road trip by beating Louisville

Another nice win for the Irish.

We likely will be hearing about how bad the ACC is for the rest of the season. That being the case, it will be difficult for many to determine how good Notre Dame is if it keeps winning games. It happened again as the Irish won, 82-70, at Louisville for the first time since 2015. That concluded a 2-1 road trip and gave them victories in eight of their past nine games.

The Irish (12-6, 5-2) found themselves in an offensive shootout with the Cardinals (11-8, 5-4) right out of the gate. They made their first 10 shots but couldn’t pull away, and the Cardinals went on their own run to lead by as much as nine before settling on a seven-point halftime advantage. The Irish battled back to make it a second half in which the lead frequently changed. But instead of letting things come down to the wire, the Irish ended the game on a 17-6 run over the final seven-and-a-half minutes, and the boo birds came out at the KFC Yum! Center as the final buzzer sounded.

Blake Wesley was the man for the Irish again as he led all scorers with 22 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the field. Paul Atkinson Jr. and Dane Goodwin combined to shoot 11 of 15 while scoring 13 points apiece. Prentiss Hubb had 12 points while also dishing out five assists.